Upcycle history
OUR INSPIRATION
After visiting ReMida in Reggio Emilia, Italy in 2010, Susan Miranda and Kelley Organek were inspired to bring a similar creative recycling center to the City of Alexandria. We incorporated in November 2011 and our non-profit status is retroactive since that date. We opened a reuse center in the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria, Virginia in June 2013. In May 2016, UpCycle moved to the Durant Arts Center, a City of Alexandria recreation facility located at 1605 Cameron Street. In March of 2022, UpCycle moved to the current shop location at Building Momentum at 5380-D Eisenhower Ave, Alexandria, VA 22304.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
At UpCycle, we are inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach to learning. Our collaborative work is guided by a shared vision that everyone, including the youngest child, has perspectives and ideas that can be revealed through exploratory experiences with arts media and other open ended materials. We believe that children learn from relationships with other children and the adults in their lives. Our intentional observations of children, combined with our educational experience and aptitude to use arts materials with children, guide our teaching practice and result in class experiences that are unique and relevant to the development of our class participants.
After visiting ReMida in Reggio Emilia, Italy in 2010, Susan Miranda and Kelley Organek were inspired to bring a similar creative recycling center to the City of Alexandria. We incorporated in November 2011 and our non-profit status is retroactive since that date. We opened a reuse center in the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria, Virginia in June 2013. In May 2016, UpCycle moved to the Durant Arts Center, a City of Alexandria recreation facility located at 1605 Cameron Street. In March of 2022, UpCycle moved to the current shop location at Building Momentum at 5380-D Eisenhower Ave, Alexandria, VA 22304.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
At UpCycle, we are inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach to learning. Our collaborative work is guided by a shared vision that everyone, including the youngest child, has perspectives and ideas that can be revealed through exploratory experiences with arts media and other open ended materials. We believe that children learn from relationships with other children and the adults in their lives. Our intentional observations of children, combined with our educational experience and aptitude to use arts materials with children, guide our teaching practice and result in class experiences that are unique and relevant to the development of our class participants.
UPCYCLE IN THE MEDIA
Check out our past blog posts here
ARTICLES
10/5/2025 - Alexandria Women for Good Donates $13,147 to UpCycle to Fuel Sustainable Creativity and Community
4/21/2023 - ACPS April Partner & Volunteer Highlight: UpCycle Creative Reuse Center
4/5/2023 - UpCycle Creative Reuse Center: Getting Creative with Sustainability
12/2017 - Parenting Today on iHeartRadio with SCAN of Northern Virginia - Managing Holiday Stress
6/2017 - UpCycle's Impact Report: 2016-17 Outreach in Alexandria City Public School Preschool and Kindergarten Classes
5/2017 - Delegate Ken Plum's Virginia Report
7/2016 - UpCycle's Blog - Kevin Bacon Makes a Special Delivery to UpCycle
6/2016 - Alexandria Times - Teale, Chris. UpCycle Relocates to the Durant Center.
8/2015 - Voice of America - Urdu
11/16/2013 - Trashmagination - UpCycle Creative Reuse Center
10/7/2013 - DIY Del Ray - Making Art on the Avenue
9/2/2013 - Del Ray, VA Patch - McLoone, Sharon. UpCycle Opens in Downtown Del Ray.
7/29/2013 - DIY Del Ray - Welcome to Del Ray, UpCycle Creative Reuse Center.
4/25/2013 - Alexandria Gazette Packet - Celebrating Earth Day - pg. 3
VIDEOS
Delegate Ken Plum's Virginia Report - May 2017
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Managing Holiday Stress-Parenting Today
December 21, 2017 • 13 min
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UpCycle Opens in Downtown Del Ray - September 2013
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Reuse Alexandria - Making Alexandria a Better Place to Live - October 2016
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